Dylan’s 3-2-1 Ribs - November

Dylan’s 3-2-1 Ribs

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Smoke Time: 6 hours
Rest Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 6 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 rack pork spare ribs (3–4 lbs), membrane removed
BBQ seasoning (my favorite is Sweet Preacher Rub by Fire & Smoke Society)
2 tablespoons yellow mustard (binder)
⅓ cup brown sugar (rub)
⅓ cup apple juice (wrap)
4 tablespoons butter, cubed (wrap)
⅓ cup brown sugar (wrap)
2 tablespoons honey (wrap)
½ cup BBQ sauce

There’s nothing quite like a rack of slow-smoked BBQ ribs, and this recipe is one of my favorites. I keep things simple with a little mustard as a binder, a sweet and smoky rub, and the perfect combination of butter, brown sugar, honey, and apple juice in the wrap.

After a few hours in the smoker, we finish them with a generous coating of BBQ sauce until they're sticky, tender, and packed with flavor. These ribs are all about low and slow cooking, building layers of flavor, and getting that perfect bite.

Fire up the smoker, grab a cold drink, and let's make some incredible ribs!

Step-by-Step Recipe

Prep the Ribs
Preheat your smoker to 225°F. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Slather both sides with yellow mustard to create a binder.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar for the rub with your favorite BBQ seasoning. Generously season both sides of the ribs.

Smoke Unwrapped
Place the ribs meat-side up on the smoker grates at 225°F. Close the lid and smoke for 3 hours (180 minutes), allowing the ribs to develop a beautiful smoky flavor and bark.

Wrap the Ribs
Lay out a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Scatter the cubed butter, brown sugar, and honey over the foil.

Place the ribs meat-side down on top of the mixture. Pour the apple juice over the ribs, then wrap tightly in the foil.

Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker and cook for another 2 hours (120 minutes).

Sauce and Finish
Carefully unwrap the ribs, watching out for hot steam. Place the ribs back on the smoker grates, meat-side up.

Brush generously with BBQ sauce and cook uncovered for another hour, or until the sauce has set and become sticky and tacky.

Rest and Slice
Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for 10 minutes. Slice between the bones and serve!